Duke Energy working on downtown underground vaults

Duke Energy is replacing lids to three underground electrical vaults underneath the streets and sidewalks of downtown Burlington, which is what’s caused lane closures near May Memorial Library.

The process, which began this week, is general maintenance work on the vaults that house all the underground electrical equipment, said Tom Shiel, spokesman for Duke Energy.

“The original lids were put in place in the early ’60s,” Shiel said. “We are going to be doing the vault lid replacements over the next two weeks.”

Beginning Wednesday, work in front of the library closed the northbound lane of Spring Street as crews replaced the lid to one of two vaults in the area.

Lanny Rhew, city engineer, said the one Duke Energy was working on Wednesday and Thursday was in the sidewalk. Shiel said crews began work on the second vault under Spring Street on Thursday night, which “encroaches into the (northbound) lane,” Rhew said.

Shiel said the lid of the second vault in front of the library should be complete by Tuesday, after which Duke Energy will head over to a third vault on Fifth Street near Melville Alley, behind Alamance Foods.

“We expect to have all the work done within a two-week period,” Shiel said, adding that the maintenance will not interfere with electrical service.